Berks child predator sentenced to 18 years followed by lifetime court supervision

The Reading man pleaded guilty to child pornography charges.

Written by Reading Eagle

A Reading man was sentenced to 18 years in prison for possession of child pornography and related offenses, U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain announced Monday.

Sean Fager, 54, also faces lifetime supervision following his release, according to the sentence imposed by Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl.

Fager pleaded guilty in January to charges of production, transportation and possession of child pornography, including amassing a collection of more than 400 digital images and several videos found on his personal computer.

In March 2014, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children shared a tip with law enforcement about suspected child pornography being uploaded from an IP address belonging to the defendant, the announcement said.

An investigation revealed hundreds of images of child pornography, some of which appeared to be homemade.

“This defendant's conduct was abhorrent,” McSwain said. “He preyed on the most vulnerable of victims — two five-year-old children.”

McSwain said Fager, and others like him who participate in the world of child pornography, perpetuate the harm to the victims by creating demand and fueling this market.

“These children are victimized every time their images are downloaded, purchased, or viewed by another person,” McSwain said. “Their exploitation is ongoing and relentless.”

The sentence, he said, demonstrates the seriousness of these crimes and the ferocity with which his office will prosecute them.

“Anyone willing to sexually exploit children deserves to feel the full force of the law,” said Michael T. Harpster, special agent in charge of the FBI's Philadelphia Division. “Society is unquestionably safer with predators like Fager behind bars.”

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Reinitz and Christine Sykes.